A fire above an apartment building after a drone crash caused an explosion and fire on impact, in Galati, eastern Romania, near the Ukrainian border.
A Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania during an overnight attack on Ukraine, wounding two people and drawing strong condemnation from NATO and European leaders.Agence France-Presse reported that the drone struck a residential building in the city of Galati, near the Romanian border with Ukraine, causing a fire and wounding a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman.Romanian authorities said the drone entered Romanian airspace during a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine and was tracked by radar before it crashed.The Romanian Defense Ministry described the incident as a “dangerous and irresponsible escalation” by Russia and said Bucharest had asked NATO to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to the Romanian army.
Romania says the incident is the most serious since the start of the war
Romanian President Nicosur Dan met before the country’s Supreme Defense Council on Friday, calling it “the worst incident to hit national territory” since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“There is no ambiguity about the author and cause of this attack,” Dan wrote on Facebook, placing the blame squarely on Russia.According to the AP news agency, Romanian forces sent two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter after the drone was discovered in Romanian airspace.
Emergency alerts have also been issued to residents in the affected areas.Gen. Gheorghe Maxim, acting head of the Romanian Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the drone crash “was not an attack by Russia on Romania,” but warned that “Russia poses a threat to the security of countries in the region.”Romanian officials said the army did not have enough time to safely bring down the drone, with only four minutes remaining before impact.
NATO and EU leaders condemn the incursion
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed his “absolute solidarity” with Romania and said that the alliance was ready “to defend every inch of allied territory.”European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had “crossed another line” by allowing a drone strike to hit “European Union territory.”“Germany stands with our NATO allies,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X. “The incident once again underscores the need for a strong NATO position on the eastern flank.”
“We are prepared to defend every inch of Allied territory.”German Foreign Minister Johan Wadevoll, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and several other European leaders also condemned the incident.
New attacks on Ukraine
The incident came as Russia launched another major drone attack on Ukraine overnight.The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 232 drones and one ballistic missile, while Ukrainian forces shot down 217 drones.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United States to accelerate the delivery of Patriot air defense missiles, warning that US stockpiles were under pressure due to the ongoing conflict with Iran.UN Secretary-General António Guterres also warned the UN Security Council that the escalation threatened to spiral out of control and called for a “complete and unconditional ceasefire.”
